The Inevitable Fate
by Kfreak
Summary: <html><head></head>Grant has been spending most of his life taking care of Anna, his sister and the only family he has left. Upon the Reaping, he faces the fate that he had once escaped before. In order to save his best friend's little brother, he makes the ultimate sacrifice by volunteering for the 69th Hunger Games. (Mature for gore, swearing, alcohol reference)</html>
1. Chapter 1

I wake up to the sun gleaming down on me. The trees around me are rustling as a slight breeze rushes through the intricate paths created by the leaves. I must have been out for a few hours because my left arm begins to have the pins-and-needles feeling, which I find very uncomfortable. I glace around and notice that the sun is only a couple hours from setting. Knowing my boss, he would have my ass if I didn't return back with a single tree. Luckily I chopped down a tree not too long ago. It's not big, but it'll at least keep him content. The feeling finally goes away as I grab my backpack and stand up, taking a hold of my wagon I use to transport logs. A few birds are chirping in the air as I start to head back for the mill, gently sliding my axe into the bag

The streets are bustling with people. Some are out to stock up on wood supplies while others are out to gather food. I feel around in my pocket to make sure I have some spare change. I do. From working at the mill. My job is to go out and gather trees and bring them back to the mill. For six days a week after school. It's exhausting work, but it's to help out around the house.

Every year on this day, the streets are crowded with people. The eve of the Reaping. The day I dread because I always had fear that I would be picked the next day. It happened once during the 65th Hunger Games.

I was only 13 at that time. My brother, Kian, volunteered to take my place. It was hard watching him leave, as I felt I should have been the one to go instead. I was picked after all. Why should he risk his life to save me when he wasn't in danger? Why should he suffer the fate that was chosen for me? He was in the top five before Bryant, from District 2, took his life. I hated him. I still do, but deep down I know that it wasn't his fault. It's the Capitol's. Besides that, I enjoyed watching as Finnick, the male tribute from District 4 who became the victor that year, propelled his trident into Bryant's neck.

My mind begins to fade out the memory as I stumble to the mill. The scent of sawdust fills the air surrounding me. Not too far from me is where they store all the logs to be cut into lumber. The required length for each log has to be at least ten feet long.

As I'm placing my logs into the pile, one of the Peacekeepers who watches over the mill, Keaton, walks up. "Wow, that's a lot of logs you have there, Grant" he says sarcastically. He folded his arms as he examines the logs. "You could at least put in the effort to gather twice that amount," he says as he points over to my logs.

"Well, if you guys would give me better equipment, I would have this entire sled full," I reply, not paying any attention to him. Since I started a few months ago, I get the tools no one else wants. A small axe that is pretty much useless. You wouldn't even be able to tear paper with it. "Don't you have to get back to drinking until your gut explodes?"

He chuckles as he places a hand on my shoulder. The smell of beer leaves his mouth as he breathes down at me. "You know, you're not very friendly. Why don't you trying acting nice to others?" he asks, looking down at me. He's at least a foot taller than I am.

"Because I don't have any plans on making friends here. I'm just here to get money. That's it," I reply as I finish setting my logs down. Being nice to a Peacekeeper is like thrusting a knife into my eye. Painful and hard to bring myself to do. I wait until Keaton pulls out a small bag of coins for the day's work.

"Say please," he smirks as he dangles the bag of coins in my face.

I snatch the bag and walk off. A small bag of coins would usually get me a couple bags of grain or half of a butchered pig. Enough for a day's worth of meals. At least, for my household.

I see the bakery not too far from me. The sweet smell of cake, pastries, and bread fills the air as I inhale deeply. Our district bread rests on a wooden board close to the front of the window. My mouth waters from the sight of the bread. It's my favorite bread. I can't help but to think about the pine taste from the pine needles that they blend up and pour into the dough. The bread is a dark brown, to symbolize the bark of a tree.

I then walk into the bakery, making sure I have enough for the bread. Brent, the baker's son who's a year older than me, greets me with a smile on his face. "Ah, there you are, Grant. I was worried you wouldn't show up," he says as he pulls out a loaf of our district's bread. He knows that's the only thing I get here, and I come here often. I return the smile with one and say, "Come on. Do you really think I would go home without a loaf? It's pretty much my life support."

Brent chuckles as I hand him some of my coins. "That is true. So, what have you been doing?"

"Same as always. Taking a trip out into the forest."

"Did you make sure to stay away from the nightlock?" he asks.

"Yes. Besides, that was a couple years ago," I say. There was a time where I almost ate some nightlock, thinking that it was just a huckleberry. They're pretty much similar in color. I'm not smart when it comes to knowing which plants are edible or not. Berry wise, at least.

We continue the conversation by talking about the people we hate at school. One of those people is Jared, who goes around acting like he's the only man on the planet and everyone around him are insignificant. Nobody likes Jared. The Peacekeepers just glare at him as he walks by. We then talk about the crushes we had back then.

"Remember that one girl whose hair you cut during lunch just to get her to notice you? She was pissed and you got in big trouble," Brent says with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I think I was six at that time. That one teacher wouldn't stop nagging at me. She said it was detrimental to the 'fabric of society'. It did get her attention after all," I reply with a smile. "But of course, her parents yelled at me for who knows how long."

"Yeah. Those were the good old times," Brent says. He takes the coins and places them into the register. "Where we didn't have to worry about losing our friends to the Hunger Games. I just wish I can go back to being that young and not worry at all. I just wish we could live without fear."

"Same here, but we know that's never going to happen," I say in response, keeping myself from talking badly about the Capitol and the Hunger Games. "Anyways, I should head back home before Anna gets all worried about me."

James nods and shakes my hand, pulling me into a man hug. "Alright, I'll see you around. Good luck," he says as I know he was referring to the Reaping tomorrow.

"You too," I reply, taking the loaf and walk out of the bakery. The sun is starting to set as I make my way back home. The scent of the bread keeps tempting me to rip off a piece and stuff it into my mouth, but I decide to wait until I return to the house.

I make it home just before the sun sets behind the mountain, bringing District 7 into twilight. I smile as I observe the orange and red hues of the sky behind the mountain as a dark blue meets up with it. The flowers around the house already closing their petals for the night as the last bees make their way back to their hive. I open the door and kick off my boots and sliding my socks into them, heading into the kitchen.

For a few years now, my sister Anna and I have been living with Lara, her brother, and her mother for the past few years. My mother died from a disease that wasn't known in this district. Watching her take her last breath was hard for me, since she had always been there for me. My dad died a few months later after taking his own life. Kian, Anna, and I walked home one day to find his body lying on the floor in the kitchen. A pool of blood rested where his chest was, and a knife was still in his hand. I quickly led Anna out of the room as Kian ran out and tried to get help.

Heather and a couple of my dad's coworkers showed up and was shocked at the scene. Tears were flowing from our eyes as we looked up at her, Anna clinging onto me as she sobbed against my chest. We thought we had nowhere else to go. I thought we were going to be taken by Peacekeepers to live somewhere else.

After a few minutes, Peacekeepers walked up to the door, observing the scene. For a while, the coworkers and Heather were conversing with the Peacekeepers and begging them to not take us away. Heather then said that she would take us in before the Peacekeepers could even reach us. They talked for several minutes before they agreed to allow Heather to become our guardian. That was six years ago.

In the kitchen is Heather, preparing venison meat she bought from the butcher earlier today. In a pan is a sauce she makes out of the herbs in the garden. In the other room, Lara is sitting at the table with Anna, teaching her how to draw. Heather turns around and sees me. "Hey, Grant," she says with a sweet smile.

"Hey, Heather. I got some bread from the bakery," I say as I set the loaf of bread on the counter.

She picks up the loaf and examines it. She tells me that it's a nice sized loaf and would go great with venison. "Dinner's almost ready. Paxton should be in your guys' room, so could you go get him?"

"Alright," I reply with a nod, starting to walk out of the kitchen. I walk into my room and place the backpack on top of my bed. I look up and see Paxton on his bed. He's worried about the Reaping as it's his first year. I don't blame him. "Hey, dinner's almost done," I say to him softly. He looks up at me and nods. "Alright, I'll be there in a second."

I nod as I head out of the room, taking a seat at the table next to Anna. The chair creeks as I lean back on it. "What a weird day," I say, kicking my feet up on the table. The scent of pine from a candle fills the room. I don't get why we get pine scented candles when we're surrounded by pine trees to begin with.

Lara looks up from what she was doing. "Why's that?"

"I dunno. It just felt like a weird day."

"You always get that feeling, Grant," she replies, looking down and smiling at Anna when she shows her a drawing of a cat, patting her head. Anna tells Lara about wanting to own a place full of cats when she grows up, which makes her laugh. "You can have as many cats as you want," she tells her with a smile, then directs her attention back at me. "Did you see Brent today?"

"Yeah. He was down working at the bakery, but he was surprisingly not worried about tomorrow. At least, he didn't seem like it," I say.

"Probably because his last year in the Reaping. If he doesn't get picked, then he doesn't have to worry about it for the rest of his life," she replies, handing Anna a drawing of a cat that she drew for her. "Hell, I'd be happy if it was my last year."

"But that just means you have a better chance of getting picked."

"Grant, when was the last time you saw an 18-year-old get chosen at the Reaping? Most of the tributes who get chosen every year are about the same age as us, if not younger," she says, taking another piece of paper to draw some more. "Besides, Brent doesn't have to worry about signing up for terrasse every year. Even if it's his last year, his chances aren't as high as other kids here."

I let the topic go as I didn't want to initiate an argument. She does have a point though. Most of the tributes chosen are usually the poorer kids in the district. Most of them are usually around 12-16. On an occasion, there is an 18-year-old chosen, but not often. I look up to see Paxton join us at the table.

Heather walks into the room with the venison mean on a platter. The sweet sauce rests in a small bowl at the end of the platter. Every year, Heather saves up money to buy venison before the Reaping. It's our favorite, and I'm guessing it's to help bring our spirits up. I think of it as our last dinner together, just in case one of us gets chosen the next day. Heather places the platter at the middle of the table, resting the sliced loaf of bread next to it. "Alright, let's eat up," she says before handing us the plates and silverware.

I take a chunk of venison and lay it on my place, covering the top with the sweet sauce. I cut off a small piece and place it into my mouth. The sweetness of the sauce balances the gamey taste of the deer. This makes me smile as I take a slice of bread, dipping it into the sauce. We sit around and eat dinner, talking about our day.

After dinner, we head off to bed, dreading the next day. Lara, Paxton, and I are at risk of being picked tomorrow. I walk into my room and lie on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. Many thoughts were going through my head. Paxton's name entering the Reaping for the first time, Lara and I still having the chance of being picked, and the fact that James is still in love with me. It's too much to think about that I force myself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I wake up at the crack of dawn. The air is warm and I notice that I'm sweating. I think it's because of the stress I'm dealing with right now. I decide to take a walk before getting ready. I go to my closet and pick out my clothes, putting them on before picking up my sandals since I'm not going into the forest today. I prefer sandals anyways since shoes would often cramp my feet. I quietly walk out of the room and head outside, closing the front door behind me.

I take a deep breath as the aroma of pine trees invades my nose, making me miss this place even though the Reaping doesn't happen until later. A few birds fly above me, chirping their songs back and forth as I start to walk. The only thing on my mind is to see Brent. He's usually up this early baking bread while his family are still asleep.

It takes a few minutes to reach the bakery. I see Brent sitting on a bench near the entrance, smoking a cigarette. I walk up to him, sitting down on the bench next to him. "Today's the day." I say to him, looking over to the town square that is being set up for the Reaping.

"Yeah…" Brent replies back, taking a drag from his cigarette and exhaling the smoke. "You're up pretty early today," he says.

"And so are you. Couldn't sleep?"

He shakes his head. "Too much on my mind. How many times has your name placed into the Reaping?"

"Twenty six," I say.

I signed up for terrasse every year since we don't make much. Heather helps run Old Sal's shop, but doesn't get paid much since money isn't as abundant as the higher districts like District 1 and District 2. When I turned 13, my name was placed into the Reaping six times, five from terrasse and one for being a year older. I did it in secret and Heather scolded at me, telling me that I shouldn't be so careless. I didn't listen to her and continued to sign up for terrasse, sometimes only for Anna and I.

Brent is silent. He has no idea that I even sign up for terrasse. He has a shocked expression on his face. "You signed up for terrasse, didn't you…"

"I had to make sure Anna was well fed. I'm not going to let her starve."

"But how did you get your name entered in so many times?"

"We're not the only two in the house, James," I snap at him. "I only did what I had to do. You never even brought up this question before, so why now?"

"I was just wondering. If I had known about this, I would have made sure you didn't sign up."

"I would have done it anyways. Heather wasn't able to stop me. Why are you even making a big deal about this? It doesn't affect you."

"It does if you are picked today. I can't lose you, Grant," he says, focusing his attention to the ground. I can tell he's trying to keep himself from tearing up. "I can't lose you... You're my best friend. That's why I'm making a big deal about his."

I feel a bit guilty for snapping at him. He's only looking out for me, and I'm pretty sure I would have reacted the same way if I was in his place. Hearing that your best friend has his/her name in the Reaping twenty six times isn't a good feeling whatsoever. I place a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"It's okay. I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"I know," I respond.

"Okay." A smile forms on his lips as he nods. "See you soon."

I nod and start to head off, waving back to him. I open the door and walk into the house. Heather is already up, placing some clothes on the table for us. "There you are. The others are getting ready. Where were you?"

"I was just talking to Brent at the bakery," I reply.

"This year is his last year, right? Is he worried about being picked?"

"Well, he seemed more worried about me having my name in the Reaping twenty six times," I say, before biting my lower lip. I have forgotten that I kept the terrasse a secret.

"Wait, what?" Heather questions me. She first thinks about it, then places her hand on her forehead. "You kept signing up for terrasse, didn't you? You told me that you bought that grain." She sighs, before removing her hand. She's keeping herself from going off at me. "Okay, what's done is done, but don't do it again. I mean it this time, alright?"

"Alright," I lie, knowing that I'll sign up again next year.

Heather walks up to me and hands me some clothes. "Here are your and Paxton's clothes. I'll bring Lara's clothes to her," she says as she starts to walk off. She then turns around.

"Thank you," I say. I walk to my room and see Paxton fiddling with a pencil. He looks up at me, and I can see the fear on his face. "Is this how you felt when it was your first day?"

"That depends on what you are feeling," I reply, sitting on the bed next to him.

"I'm just afraid."

"Of Cilia or the Reaping?"

"Well, both actually," he says.

Cilia is District 7's escort. She has no idea how much we despise and fear the Hunger Games. To her, the Games are just entertainment. She has the tendency to express too much joy while picking out the names. It's like she can't wait to see us get killed. That and the fact she wears clothing that it a bit creepy.

"Yeah, Cilia is scary," I say with a soft chuckle, placing a hand on Paxton's shoulder. "I know how you feel. To tell you the truth, I'm just as afraid as you are."

"Really?" he asks, looking over at me. "I just thought you got over it."

"I don't like expressing my emotions that much, especially during the Reaping. I may seem calm and content on the outside, but on the inside, I'm fearing for my life. For our lives." I reply to him, taking off my current clothes and putting on the nicer clothes, keeping my sandals on. "No one really gets over this feeling until they turn 19. It's a feeling we all share here."

"You're not going to shower?"

"Why should I? Cilia can deal with it."

He smiles softly, then begins to dress in his clothes. "Well, let's get this day over with," he says, walking out of the room. I take one last look around to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything then closed the door behind me. I can hear birds chirping outside the window. The sun shines through the window as it is time to head over to the town square. Before I walk out the door, Anna walks up and takes my hand. "I'll comfort you, big brother."

I smile and pat her head softly. "Thank you, Anna. You're always so nice to big brother," I say as I see her smile. We start to walk to the square. As we reach our destination, we see the roped off areas are already being filled up. As usual, the oldest stand up front as the youngest stands in the back. I give Anna a hug, telling her that I'll go straight to her as soon as the Reaping is over, then head off to the section. Even though I'm currently sixteen, I stand in the same row as the seventeen-year-olds since my birthday is on the same day the Hunger Games begins.

There are two tall towers standing on each side of the stage. Each of the towers holds a large screen for the Games and speakers on the tops. The national flag hangs from the Justice Building, which is made from marble and painted dark brown with shimmering green at the top. I look around and see Lara over at her section. In the back is where Paxton is standing. I can't really see him since most of the twelve-year-olds are small. I then notice that Brent was standing right in front of me. I gently tap his calf with my foot, which gets his attention.

"Oh, there you are. I couldn't see you," he says softly with a smile, trying to stay quiet."

"You still pissed off about me having my name in many times?" I whisper back to him. I can see he has gotten over it, but still has that concerned expression in his eyes.

"No, I understand why you did so. I wasn't trying to blow it out of proportion," he replies before focusing his attention to the stage.

On the stage, there are four seats: One for Cilia, one for the mayor, and the last two are for our victors, Blight and Amur. The mayor stands up and walks over to the podium. He begins by talking about the uprising that began 69 years ago and how the Hunger Games came into being. He tells us about the destruction of District 13 and how it was because of the Capitol's mercy that the rest of the districts weren't destroyed like 13. It's the same exact speech he gives every year on this day. Down to every single word. I guess it's a requirement.

After he gives his speech, Cilia walks up to the podium. She has on a dark green dress with peals on the seams. Her hair is dark purple and is up to the point it looks like a head of cabbage. "Welcome, one and all. This year, we are going to be celebrating the 69th anniversary of the Hunger Games," she says with an over enthusiastic tone. Her golden lips forms a smile as she examines the crowd of potential tributes. She claps softly, before continuing on. "Now, it's time to select one young man and woman to participate in this year's Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first," she practically squeals as she walks over to the girls' bowl. Her hand gently hangs above the bowl before it takes a dive in. I can hear the rustling of the paper before she grabs a slip, walking back to the podium. She opens the slip and reads the name.

"Jade Anderson."

I look over to Lara, who gives a sigh of relief that she wasn't picked. I watch as Jade steps out of the row, being escorted up to the stage. She looks to be 16. Her black hair is blowing in the wind as she is trying to keep herself from tearing up. Jade looks out to the crowd. The sun reflects off her brown eyes as she's hoping someone would take her place. "Would anyone like to volunteer to take her place?" Cilia asks the crowd, which stayed silent.

"Alright, now for the boys," she says as she waddles her way to the bowl. She's wearing really high heels. I'm just waiting for her to trip on something and fall on camera. She doesn't. She dips her hand into the bowl and swishes the slips around before grabbing one. As she walks back, I hear a few guys hold their breath. I stand there, anticipating for her to call my name. Only it wasn't my name, but another name I don't want to hear.

"Paxton Kellar."

My heart drops at the sound. I look over to Lara. She covers her faces as she begins to sob. From the back, Paxton slowly makes his way towards the stage. A couple tears were falling from his eyes as Cilia walked over to the podium. "Would anyone like to volunteer to take his place?"

"Oh, we have a volunteer!" Cilia exclaims into the microphone as she looks out into the multitude of boys. Within the crown, there is one hand that is raised. Most of the guys turn around to see who that hand belongs to. It belongs to me.


	3. Chapter 3

I hear a couple gasps escape from a few people around me. They probably recognized me and think that I'm crazy to volunteer since I was picked five years prior to today. The space around me quickly begins to open up as the guys back away, leaving me in the spot light. I take a glimpse over to Lara, who is giving me a shocked yet disconsolate expression. I nod at her, then start to make my way towards the stage. I swear I hear Cilia gasping as she looks down at me. I'm guessing because I wore sandals with my nice outfit.

"Come on, dear. Don't be shy," Cilia says, trying to hide the fact she's getting irritated about how long I'm taking to walk. She continues to watch me as I make my way up the stairs. As soon as I take my step on the last stair, she takes my hand and walks me over to the podium, trying to pick up the pace. She urges me to take a step forward as she asks for my name.

"Grant Moore," I reply into the microphone. I look over the horde and see Anna clinging onto Heather while trying to cover her face. Heather keeps her close as she bites her lower lip, trying to keep herself from crying.

"Do you know the little boy you volunteered for?"

"Yeah. He's my best friend's little brother," I reply.

Cilia nods as she motions me to move away from the podium so she can take my place. "Isn't this exciting?"

"Not really," Blight says from his seat, smirking a bit. He's probably trying to get a reaction out of her on live T.V. Can't blame him for doing so. All that time he has to be with her, it must get pretty frustrating.

She glares over at Blight, who's chuckling to himself, and focuses her attention back at the crowd. "Well then, our tributes for this year's Hunger Games are Jade Anderson and Grant Moore," Cilia says as she turns to us. "Alright, shake hands you two."

I slowly hold my hand out to Jade, who receives it and shakes it softly. We both exchange a nod as we turn back to the crowd before us. It's actually happening. After four years, I'm going into the Hunger Games.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor," Cilia states as the national anthem starts blaring into the speakers.

Once the anthem finishes, we are guided into the Justice Building, to where we are then separated into different rooms. I walk over to the couch that sits before me and sit down on it, examining the room. The walls of the room are covered in a dark-red paint, with white moldings that seem to resemble trees. "District 7: Lumber," I mutter to myself as my first visitors enter into the room. It's Heather, Anna, Lara, and Paxton.

Anna runs up and clings onto me, tears rolling down her face. "Don't go, Grant," she sobs. I place a hand down on her shoulder and pet it softly, trying to comfort her. I'm the only family she has left, and to see her last sibling going into the Games must be heart breaking.

I pick her up and hug her tightly, keeping myself from losing it. "It'll be okay, Anna. Once I get back, things will got back to the way it used to be."

"You think so? You're going to win?"

"Of course. I do have a good chance of winning. This is big brother we're talking about, after all," I say to her. I know that I don't have a good chance of winning. That chance belongs to the tributes of districts 1, 2, and 4, otherwise known as the Careers. I lean down and kiss her gently on her forehead, placing a couple fingers under her chin to lift her head up.

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a silver necklace. "I was going to give this to you on your birthday," she says, placing the necklace in my hand. I look at the necklace and see an axe emblem, which represents our district. The handle of the emblem is made from the bark of a western red cedar tree, a common tree found here in District 7. I run my thumb along the handle and feel the wax that preserves the wood piece from decomposing. The axe itself was a dark-golden color, with the blade being dull. "Maybe it will bring you good luck in the arena."

I place the necklace around my neck. The cold silver sends shivers down my neck. "Thank you," I say softly, hugging her again. "I'll be sure to keep this on the entire time."

She nods softly as she lets go, walking back to Heather. I look over to Paxton, who is looking down at the floor as he is trying to avoid eye contact. "It's not your fault, Paxton," I say, watching as he lifts his head.

"I know. I just don't want to lose you. You're like a big brother to me," he says softly, focusing his attention on me. This is the first time I've heard him say this. I would sometimes take him out into the forest and gather some wood. It makes me feel a little happy inside. On the other hand, it also makes me cringe at the fact he has to watch me go into the arena.

"And you're like a little brother to me," I say, turning my attention to Heather as I stand up. "Make sure Anna is taken care of, okay? She's going to need you more than ever, even if she doesn't realize it."

"I promise I will," she says as she pulls me into a hug. I can hear her sniffle a bit as a couple tears rolls down her cheeks. "You're like a son to me, and I want you to know that."

"Thank you, and you're like a mother to me," I reply softly. Knowing I must has little time left, I break the hug and walk over to Lara. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I am," she responds, looking at me with a soft smile. Her face tells me that she's sad. Worried. She must be having mixed emotions from all of this, but she does her best to keep herself from losing it. "Try to win, for all of us."

I nod, hugging her softly as the Peacekeeper walks in, telling them that their time is up. "You can do this, Grant," Lara says.

"No!" Anna shouts as she clings on to me. "You can't take my brother away from me again!"

I bite my lower lip. It's taking a lot to keep myself from crying. "Big brother will be okay, Anna. You have to go now. I'll see you in a few weeks, alright?"

The Peacekeeper escorts them out as Anna keeps shouting that it's not fair. I am now alone in the room, watching as the door closes behind them. I take a seat back on the couch, running my hand along the velvet arm. The fabric makes my hand tingle a bit as my fingers slowly graze it. I start to wonder if anyone else is going to show up as the doors open. Standing in the doorway is Brent. I stand up as he walks forward and brings me into a hug. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just many thoughts on my mind right now," I say to him as I return the hug.

"The Peacekeepers didn't give me much time, so we have to make this quick," he says, placing his hands on my shoulders. "I just want to let you know that I believe in you, Grant. You're strong spirited and quick when it comes to reacting. You somewhat know what is poisonous and what is not. Use that knowledge to your advantage."

"But what if there are no plants around and it's just a desert?" I ask, referring to the arena. Every arena is different. Instead of reusing the same arena, the Capitol constructs a new arena, which are scattered around the nation every year. Last year's arena was a frozen tundra. There were barely any plants or wildlife around, and there was no way of making any fires. This lead to less bloodshed and more tributes dying from hypothermia. It was known as one of the most disappointing games.

"You think they'll have a desert? They didn't enjoy the tributes dying from hypothermia last year, so the last thing they'd want to do is have them die from hyperthermia," he responds. "I'm sure they're going to find some way to incorporate a food source, as well as fire making materials, to make sure there's more bloodshed."

"Just what we needed. More bloodshed." I say.

"It's better than freezing to death, and it would give you a better chance of surviving."

It's been several minutes before the Peacekeepers walk in and escort me out of the room. I'm glad to leave the room. Staying in that room makes me feel as if I'm insignificant to this world, seeing how we can only afford food on our table. We walk for a few minutes until we reach a car, which already contains Cilia and Jade. The rear passenger door opens and Cilia pokes her head out. "Well, come on in. We're on a tight schedule, you know."

I roll my eyes and climb into the car, closing the door. The vehicle takes off as Cilia tells us about the luxurious Capitol, saying how we'll find it very comforting.

"The train leaves in a half hour, so once we reach the station, we need to hurry to the train. That mean no bathroom breaks or smoke breaks before we get on the train. There are bathrooms on the train and a smoking car," she says before turning to me.

"Why are you looking at me?" I ask her.

"You reek of that stench."

"Maybe it's because I hang around with someone who does? Besides, I didn't take a shower before the Reaping."

This makes her gasp, and I find it quite amusing. "You didn't take a shower? Then take one when we get on the train! I'm not having one of my tributes look filthy when we arrive to the Capitol. Also, never do that again," she replies as she points down to my feet. I am right about her gasping because of my sandals, but I don't really care. The last thing I care about is being yelled at by the fashion peacekeeper.

The car ride is long, but luckily it's over. We pull up to the train station. A Peacekeeper opens the door and walks us up to the train platform. Blight and Amur are already standing by the train. Amur turns around and smiles. "There you two are," she says, her grey hair flows as the wind brushes past her. She's 86 years old and is the victor of the 3rd Hunger Games.

"The car ride took longer than I had hope for, but luckily we're here on time," Cilia states as she walks us into the train. The door slides close behind us as the train starts to move. "This train travels at about 200 miles per hour, but due to the technology, we don't feel a thing. We are expected to arrive at the Capitol by morning, so please do enjoy yourselves until then."

I ignore her and head straight into the bathroom. I disrobe, placing my clothes in the closet and turn on the shower. After the water warms up, I step in, letting the water rush down my body. I stand there, think about the Reaping. About the Games. Anna and my friends in District 7. I take the soap and rub it along my body, taking some of the suds and rub it against my face and my beard. The soap has a lavender scent to it, but I don't feel like listening to Cilia bicker at me, so I don't mind it right now. I then scrub some shampoo into my hair. The water from the shower rinses the suds off as I stand there for another few minutes.

I soon get out and grab a towel to dry myself. I'm now going into the Hunger Games. I'll be in the arena with 23 other tributes, and only one of us can come out alive. I brush the thought off as I dry myself, grabbing my clothes that were in the closet. They have an aroma similar to the soap, but I can't place my hand on it. The steam from the shower slowly rises to the ceiling before being sucked into the vent. I dress myself, sliding on my sandals, and walk out of the bathroom. A couple attendants walk up to me and ask if I needed anything. I tell them that I'll be fine. They nod their head and head off into another car on the train. I then make my way into the room where the others are in.

The room has a crystal chandelier hanging over the dining table. Each of the crystal pendants forms a small rainbow within itself as the sun shines on them. A couch is placed near the middle as two end tables rest by the arms. On each of the end tables rests a lamp that has a crystal shade on them. In front of the couch is a smaller table with fruit and other treats resting on top of it. The others are sitting on the couch, watching the T.V. that is mounted on the wall facing them. "What are you guys watching?"

"The Reaping recap is about to start," Blight answers, stroking his beard softly. He looks to be in his late 20s. I believe he's the victor of the 59th Hunger Games, but I'm not too sure about that.

I nod, then take a seat between Blight and Cilia. On the T.V. is the Justice Building from District 1, at least I think it is. It's much more luxurious than ours. The escort for District 1 pulls out the names from each of the bowls. Of course, two tributes volunteer to take their place. It's a common occurrence in the Career Districts since they train until they're 18. The female who volunteered is named Satin. Of course. Satin's beauty can brainwash an entire crowd of people to follow her. Her blonde hair streams down in waves past her shoulders. I know that Satin will be one of my biggest threats in the arena. If not my biggest threat. She looks at the crowd and smiles, taking the male tribute's, who is named Silk, hand and raises it into the air.

"Who would name their son Silk? That's horrible!" I state. I don't understand why District 1 finds the need to give their kids ridiculous names. Gloss. Cashmere. Sapphire. Satin. Silk. I mean, come on.

Cilia nudges me to keep it down as it goes to District 2 and so on. District 2's tributes are like District 1's. They're both volunteers. I only catch the female tribute's name, which is Thalia. District 4's tributes are twins. Alexander and Ocarina. Both have brown hair. Same height. 17 years of age. I hear Cilia talking about having twins in the arena will make things more interesting.

"They'll be the Cashmere and Gloss of this year's Hunger Games," she says. I shake my head, since they both can't win the Hunger Games, and continue to watch the Reaping. Some of the tributes are young, most likely between the ages of 13 to 15.

Our district is next, and it first shows Jade being called up, followed by Paxton before I volunteered. We shook hands and are escorted into the Justice Building.

The districts continue to fly by until it eventually reaches District 12, the coal mining district. The female tribute by the name of Brielle is picked, followed by the male Redmond. Brielle seems to be my age while Redmond is around 15.

The Reapings are over, and the scene goes back to Caesar Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games event. Cilia stands up, placing her hands on her hips as she puckers her lips. "Well, I can assure you that it will be an interesting year, having the twins in the arena," she states.

"I can't even imagine what it will be like to have to face your own sibling if it ever got down to it," Jade says, leaning back on the couch. "It must be hard to think about it."

"They're more focused on winning the games for their district," Blight responds, reaching for a muffin that's on the small table. He takes a knife and runs it along the top of the butter, spreading it around the top of the muffin. "All they care about it gaining pride for their own district. To the Careers, the Hunger Games are more like a pageant of honor. Gaining pride is the only thing they're worried about."

"Most of them, at least," Amur responds. "Some of the Career tributes don't want to be a part of the pact." She's talking about the female tribute from District 4 who teamed up with her during the 3rd Hunger Games.

I turn my attention to the T.V. and watch Caesar talk about the disappointing game last year. 'I hope this year is more eventful than last years. We wouldn't want the tributes dying from hypothermia again,' he says to the camera. The screen then shows the scenes of the 68th Hunger Games. The gong sounds as I watch the kids run towards the Cornucopia, which rests in the middle of the arc. The Careers are already at the horn as they grab their weapons and start to slash at the others. The snow on the ground is stained with their blood as thirteen corpses cover the area surrounding the golden horn. I just wonder how many will die in this year's bloodbath. The scene then flashes to the arena. It is a desolate, frozen tundra. No way of making a fire. I can see a few tributes curled up on the ground, trying to retain their body temperature. The tributes start to drop like flies as the days progress. The female tribute from District 5 became the victor as she lasted the longest. The 68th Hunger Games only lasted for four days. One of the shortest games in history.

"Well, we should be at the Capitol by morning," Cilia says as she walks to her room. I look out the window and watch as the sun sets behind the mountains. I feel the axe on my necklace as I start to think about Anna. I know that they will not sleep well tonight. I can almost hear Anna sobbing quietly to herself, curled up in her bed and refusing to leave the room. It's what she did when Kian went into the Hunger Games. 'I still have a chance,' I think to myself, grasping onto the slim chance of winning just for Anna's sake.

"So, what's going to happen once we arrive at the Capitol?" Jade asks, keeping her hands to her sides.

Amur takes a bite of her bread, washing it down with a sip of tea. "Once we reach the Capitol, they're going to take you guys to get prepared for the tribute parade."

"I hated the preparation. All that waxing and the prep team whining about not having shrimp at their parties," Blight sighs. He takes a bite from his muffin, recalling his time at the preparation room.

"Waxing?" I ask. I've never heard of such thing.

"It's when they rub some sticky substance on your legs before laying a piece of fabric on top. After a minute, they rip off the fabric, which pulls out your leg hairs."

Just the sound of it makes me cringe. People in the Capitol are weird. Have they never heard of shaving? "Wait, people actually do that?"

"Yes. It's considered an abomination even for men to have leg hairs in the Capitol," Blight replies, taking another bite from his muffin. "It feels like a thousand needles penetrating your skin as they rip off the fabric."

"Okay, let's move on to another topic," Jade interrupts, not wanting to hear any more. I can tell she's also cringing from the sound of waxing.

The sky outside turns a dark blue. Stars gently dot the sky as they shimmer dimly back at us. The view is then blocked as a line of trees zip past the window. We're definitely out of District 7. I just wonder how far we have gone. District 7. Home. I'm no longer in its vicinity. I stand up from my seat, stretching my arms out. "It's been a long day. I'm going to bed," I say.

"Wait, we haven't even discussed our plan yet," Jade replies, looking straight at me. "Don't you want to hear some advice or something?"

"Jade, we have a full week before we're thrown into the arena. I'm pretty sure they'll give us their advice before we go. Right now, I just want to sleep," I say as I wave to them, heading over to my room. I can hear Jade say how I'm not taking this seriously to the other two. I don't care. I open the door to my room and walk in, flopping on the bed. My gaze turns toward the ceiling as I mentally promise Anna that I'll come back. I know that both of us will not sleep well tonight. Next to my bed is a small night stand. I take off the necklace and place it on a plate that's on the stand. 'I'll come back before you know it, Anna,' I think to myself before I drift off into a sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up to the sound of someone banging on my door. The sun was glaring through the window as I hear Cilia's voice telling me to get up. Her voice reminds me of a cat being strangled. That high-pitched, crackling voice. The sound that can even pierce the most boisterous room. I start to hope that most of the people in the Capitol don't talk like this as I throw on my clothes, grabbing my necklace before walking up to the door. I press a button and the door slides open.

On the other side stands Cilia, with her pale, white hands on her hips. "You're finally up. We should be at the Capitol here pretty soon, so make sure you're ready by then," Cilia says, forming a smile with her now bright purple lips. I try so hard not to stare at them. They're like plums sitting on her face. It's a challenge, but I manage not to do so. Luckily, she walks away. She almost trips in the hallway. I chuckle to myself as I walk out to the dining. If only she did that during the Reaping.

Cilia takes a seat on the couch next to Amur, who's reading a book. She starts working on her hair, occasionally puckering her lips at the mirror she's holding. Her plum-lips start to move as she converses with Amur. Blight is at the table, pouring himself a glass of wine as he talks to Jade, who's on the other side of the table. What are they talking about? Plans for the arena? Advice? My suspicion is proven as I hear Blight mention how it was a stupid idea. Curious about the topic, I walk up to the table. "What's a stupid idea?"

Blight looks up at me. I can see that he still hasn't gotten used to me. His dark, green eyes catches a glimpse of me as he takes a deep breath. "Oh, great. Come join our little circle here. I'm just giving princess here some advice," he says. In his right hand is the glass of wine, which he'll occasionally bring up to his lips just to take a sip.

I take a seat next to Jade. The table is full of pastries and muffins. Breakfast galore. There is a bottle of wine resting not too far from Blight. Judging by the appearance of the bottle, I guess that it's one of those wines that you'd have to pay with your soul. At least, for the districts. I grab a muffin and peel off the top. The aroma of chocolate escapes from the pastry-like bread, filling my nostrils with the sweetest smell a muffin can offer. "Like what?" I ask, taking a bite from the muffin top.

"Like how to start a fire just in case the nights are cold," Jade says, her sullen eyes glaring at Blight. The expression on her face tells me that she's obviously not happy with Blight.

"Which is a great idea if you're trying to get yourself killed," Blight replies, taking a sip of his wine. He sets the glass of wine down on the table as he takes a bite from a pastry that has strawberries on top of it. At least, I think they're strawberries.

I take another bite from my muffin. The taste of chocolate takes over my mouth like one of those conquerors you hear about in school as I wash it down with some orange juice. "How would you stay warm at night then?" I ask, looking over to Blight.

Blight grins a bit as he sips his wine. I can tell that his answer is not going to be serious. "Share each other's body heat," he replies. He starts to laugh at his own joke, which doesn't amuse us.

Jade's face turns red as she tries to keep herself from exploding. The redness of her cheeks only grow darker as she slams her hands on the table, causing the table to shake. "I'm not going to strip in the arena and sleep with him!" she shouts as she points at me. Her eye twitches with frustration. The same way anyone would react after listening to an idiot for who knows how long. She calms down a bit, grabbing a muffin for herself. Next to her is a small plate of jam, marmalade, and butter. She takes a knife and dips it into the marmalade. "Why can't you start acting like our mentor?"

"Calm down, princess, it was just a joke. Have some sense of humor, won't you?" the bearded man replied as he continued to laugh like an idiot strapped in a straitjacket. "Am I right, Grant?"

I stay quiet. How is he not taking this seriously? We're going to be sent into the arena to fight to the death, and he's here joking like it's no big deal. I glance over to the right and see the bottle of wine. Without thinking, I grab the wine and throw it against the floor. The bottle crashes onto the floor, shattering into multiple shards. The wine starts to seep into the carpet, emitting the foul smell of fermented grapes. "Whoops. My hand slipped," I reply, glaring up at him.

A couple attendants walk up and start to pick up the pieces, each of them exchanging a glare up at me. I hear Cilia shrieking my name. Her voice echoes throughout the train. I don't bother looking over to Cilia. My attention is focused on Blight, who seems to be getting upset.

"What do we have here? You're just wasting wine that someone spent so much time making. Now that's not nice," Blight says as he leans a bit forward, not breaking our eye contact. "You know, you are a very dislikable person. Let me tell you that if the sponsors saw you now, they would most likely not even bother sending you gifts while you're in the arena. You want to get sponsors, not scare them away."

Jade looks out the window, trying to change the subject before things get out of hand. If Blight and I were the only ones in the room, we would most likely be murdering each other. Luckily, the Capitol was within her sight. "We're here," she says as she gets up, walking towards the window. From a distance, I see light shimmering from the windows on the buildings. A lake, a rather large one, rests on one side of the dam that the train is traveling on. "I've never seen anything like it in person."

"And it's much better once you get inside," Cilia says as she looks out the window. "Just imagine, this train is not as merely luxurious as the Capitol itself. Unlike the districts, you have servants that come to your aid, providing you with only the best care they can offer. The parties. The most delicious food anyone could ever have. This will be your home for the next week."

I look over to Amur, who has her hand on her forehead as she shakes her head softly. She's probably dealt with this for a while now. This is her 66th time being a mentor after all. "We should get ready. As soon as we get to the remake center, they'll take both of you to prepare for the tribute parade tonight," she says softly as she looks at us, mostly at me and Blight. "I'm just hoping we can get there without you two slaughtering each other."

The train pulls into the station. Outside on the platform is a horde of citizens, wanting to catch a glimpse of us for the first time. Their numbers fill the station, which is gigantic. Unlike the station back home. I can hear their cheers from inside the window. These people are cheering for us. Cheering at the fact that we'll be killing each other next week. They don't seem to understand that the Hunger Games are just not games. It's survival of the fittest. An execution. A few Peacekeepers appear on the scene. They have the people clear a space for us as we are escorted off the train. The train doors open. I take a deep breath and step off the train, observing my surroundings.

"Alright. We have very little time to waste, so let's get moving. I don't want to show up late now," Cilia's piercing voice rings out, over powering the voices of the Capitol's citizens. She takes a few steps in front of us and guides us out of the station. As she takes us to the vehicle waiting for us outside, she talks about the citizens of the Capitol. "And everyone here is excited to see you guys," she squeals.

"What an honor," I say sarcastically. I'm sure they'd rather see me covered in blood.

Cilia turns around and makes a pose. "Attitude," she states, turning around before continues walking out. She walks up to the vehicle. The vehicle is longer than most cars I've seen back home. The windows are a dark grey. A guy steps out of the vehicle and opens the door for us. He takes a bow as we enter into the elongated car. The inside of the vehicle is covered in red velvet. Instead of a usual car seats, there is a long bench that runs parallel to vehicle's length, with the ends curving along the sides. I never imagined a car can look like this on the inside.

We reach the Remake Center. As we walk into the building, a couple groups of people walk up to us. I'm guessing they're our prep team.

"Alright, guys. You'll be taken away to get ready for the parade tonight. Amur, Blight, and I will meet with you guys afterwards," Cilia says as she escorts Amur and Blight out. She turns around for a minute and points a finger at me. "Grant, behave."

I watch as they walk out of the building. One of the teams takes me to a room. Before they begin, they introduce themselves as Artemis, Athena, and Theia. Theia tells me to take off my clothes and put on a robe. This is pretty uncomfortable. Stranger watching me as I disrobe right in front of them. Once I put my robe on, she walks me over to a platform, telling me to lay on my back. The cold surface makes my body shiver as they take a hose and rinse off my legs. I'm guessing this is where I get waxed. I'm right. Athena spreads some wax onto my leg. My eyes are clamped shut as I anticipate the pain. I grip onto the platform as she places the fabric on top. Without giving me a hint, she rips off the fabric. Rip! Blight was not exaggerating when he said it feels like a thousand needles. As they are waxing me, I'm gripping onto the platform as if I'm holding on for dear life. I won't die from it, but I might as well.

After an hour, they tell me to get up. My legs and arm are red from the waxing. I can feel them pulsating from the pain. Radiating red from the agony my legs had to suffer. "We'll go take you to see Matthias now," Artemis tells me, leading me out of the room.

I guess Matthias is my stylist. I'm hoping that he is not as insane as the others. Theia has bright pink skin, which is not normal for humans. Apparently, you can dye your skin any color here. As we walk down to the room, they tell me all the things Matthias will do. Measure my body size. See how tall I am. I'm not as tall as most guys in my district. Most of the guys back home are at least five foot and eleven inches. I don't even make it to five foot seven inches.

We reach the room as Artemis walks up and pushes a button, which makes the door slide upwards. In the middle of the room is a guy who I'm guessing is Matthias. To my surprise, he isn't as overly dressed as the others. No lipstick. Just teal eye liner. His black hair is spiked with gold hair dye at the tips. "He's ready to be measured," Theia says, handing me my necklace I have forgotten about before she and the others leave.

Matthias walks up to me as the door closes behind me. "I'm Matthias, and I'm going to be your stylist. First thing's first, I want you to disrobe for me."

"Don't get too excited," I say with a soft laugh, which also makes him laugh a bit. I take off the robe and watch it as it falls. The robe falls gracefully to the ground. It reminds me of a snowflake falling. The first snow fall of winter back at 7. I give the necklace to Matthias and tell him to put it somewhere safe.

"Where did you get this?" he asks, examining the necklace. He runs his thumb along the handle, which was my first reaction when I got it.

"My little sister got it for me. She was going to wait until my birthday," I reply. I watch him as he places the necklace on the table.

"When is your birthday, if you don't mind me asking," he asks as he takes a measuring tape and wraps it around my waist. He takes out a little note pad that he uses to write down the measurements.

"Next week," I reply. "The same day the Hunger Games start."

He looks up at me and pats my shoulder. "Well, that's a bit of bad luck," he says. He then circles around my body, taking down the appropriate measurements. He mutters the measurements as he writes them down as if he was taking mental notes.

I blush a bit from the situation. Standing in a room naked as another guy circles around you like a hawk is pretty awkward. "How's the view?" I joke with him, trying to make the scene less awkward. Great. Now I'm turning into Blight. With his sexual jokes and things like that.

"Lovely," he returns the joke as we both laugh. With a nod, he stands up, writing down the last measurements before focusing his attention back to me. "Do you really want to be trees this year?"

I shake my head, telling him no. For a while now, all of the tributes from District 7 have been dressed as trees. It's as if they view us as tree people instead of humans. Green tops with dark brown pants or dresses. At least the pants and dresses has intricate patterns, but it's still pretty stupid and redundant.

Matthias chuckles as he walks over to a table. "I thought so," he replies, placing the note pad on the table near my necklace. "That's why my partner Rhea, your fellow tribute's stylist, and I have decided to take a break from trees. Now tell me, what are trees good for?"

I'm going to be dressed as lumber. A chopped up log. At least that's what I'm thinking. "Lumber," I reply.

"Well, yes," he replies with a chuckle. "But I mean what are they good for? Paper. We make paper out of wood."

"So you're going to dress us up as paper?" I ask, starting to think about how the outfit would look. No. I'd much rather be a tree. Anything but paper.

"Not exactly. I was think of making your guys' outfits more vibrant. More artistic. Catch what I'm saying," he says with a grin.

After a few hours, I'm dressed in a plain white tuxedo made from paper like fabric. I sigh, disappointed that Matthias dressed me up in paper. "I thought you said we weren't going to be paper," I say, examining my outfit for hidden hints. I don't find any. What a shame. I think that he's messing with me.

"Oh, it's not just paper. You'll see as you guys ride off," he says as he places my necklace around my neck, guiding me out of the room. The hallway is empty. No voices can be heard. I look over and see Jade in a plain white dress. I'm glad to see her again. Someone from home. We make our way down to the bottom of the Remake Center. All I can see are chariots hooked onto a team of four horses. The other tributes are already down by their chariots. Matthias, Jade, and Rhea stand and chat as I walk up to my chariot. It's made out of red cedar wood. The same wood as my necklace. Each chariot is designed to represent a specific district, like our outfits. I place a hand on the horse and stroke its brown fur softly. I look up and notice the male tribute from District 2 walking up to me. He's wearing the same armor you'd expect a gladiator wear. The entire armor is made from brass. Even the sandals are made out of brass. "District 7. Lumber," he says. "It's pretty catchy, wouldn't you agree?"

He's a bit taller than I am. A bit bulky. Most of which is from his muscles. If he wanted to, he could snap me in half like a toothpick. His fair skin brightens in contrast to his armor. Beneath his helmet rests dark, brown hair.

"Not really," I reply. Why is he over here? Career tributes usually never associate with anyone from any other district besides 1, 2, and 4. "Shouldn't you be back with your posse?"

"Can't a man walk freely to wherever he wants? Do I have to be bound to a specific place? You see, I go where ever I want. No questions ask," he replies. He strokes his chin a bit, still looking at me. What is he thinking? "Now tell me. Is there anything I should know about you?"

"Why would you want to know in the first place?"

"Well, you are a fellow tribute. I'd like to get to know everybody who's going to be spending the next few weeks in the arena with me. Call it common courtesy."

"I'm not very social with others, especially with the ones I might kill later," I reply back. It's still a mystery why he would even bothering to talk to me. The other Careers are talking amongst each other. But here he is. Right in front of me.

He chuckles a bit, walking closer. "Might," he says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Do you really think you'd be able to bring yourself to take another's life? If I gave you the chance in the arena, would you kill me?" he asks, watching my facial expressions as he reads my unsure expression. The fact is I'm not a killer, but I'm not sure if I would be able to take someone's life or not. Especially being in the arena. After a few seconds of silence, he grins. "I thought so," he replies, patting my shoulder, "Well, I better head back to my 'posse' before we start. I don't want to leave a bad impression on my potential sponsors, you know." He gives me a wink before he walks off.

As soon as he walks off, Jade and the stylists walk up to the chariot, unaware of our interaction. I turn around and stand by the chariot. A voice from the ceiling tells us to get ready. Before we step onto the chariot, Matthias hands us a button. "Press it when you feel like the time is right. Not before. Not after. You want to be liked by the crowd, right?"

The chariot carrying the tributes from District 1 has already made it out of the door. The roar of the crowd penetrates the blaring music that rings throughout the entire Capitol. District 1 is like the teacher's pet of the Capitol. Everyone here loves them.

After District 1 leaves the stable-like ground floor, District 2 gets into position and the horses lead them out and so on. Before we know it, our turn is next.

"Blight says I'm a very dislikable person," I say, looking down at him.

"We'll see about that. Remember, wave to the crowd. Smile. You want to leave a good impression on them," he replies with a grin, waving us off as the chariot starts to move. I can hear the crowd cheer as we make it onto the main road. The sky is dark with a few clouds lingering above. Most of the crowd doesn't even bother looking at us. I don't blame them. The tributes in front of us are wearing a conductor's outfit since District 6 specializes in transportation. And here we are. Wearing plain white outfits that look like paper. I have a button, but I don't know what it's for. I try to gain the crowd's attention by giving them a small wave. It's not working. Some of them wave back, but the rest are focused on the other tributes. Now is the time. I press the button and both of our suits come alive lines of smooth colors. The lines progressively grow wider as they start to make intricate patterns. Like the stroke of a paint brush. I now know what they are resembling. An artist's canvas. Well, at least he has the paper down, so I guess that's enough to please the crowds. This catches the crowd's attention as they are now cheering for us. I raise my right arm and wave to the now adoring crowd. I catch a glimpse of us on a nearby screen. We are definitely a sight to see.

I hear the crowd chanting "District 7" as we ride past them. Some of them are even taking the time to look up our names and shout them out. Some of the people are now chanting our names. "Grant! Jade!" and so on. Jade gets an idea as she takes my hand. "Matthias wants us to leave an impression on them, right?" she asks. Within a heartbeat, she raises both of our hands, which makes the crowd go nuts. More and more people are now chanting our names instead of just District 7.

I can hear Matthias's words echoing in my head. You want to leave a good impression on them. I smile as I start to feel more confident about the Games. Maybe I do have a slight chance of surviving. All I have to do is have the crowd at the palm of my hands. I dare myself to let go of the chariot only for a couple second, waving to the crowd. After years of balancing on logs, I know how to keep my balance. I blow a few kisses to the crowd. A few of the people act as if they had caught the kisses and blow them right back. The crowd is going insane. Just exactly like how I want them to.

After about ten minutes or so, we reach the City Circle. People are crammed against the windows on the buildings that surround the building. At the end of the Circle is President Snow's mansion. The crowd continues to cheer our name as the president walk up to his podium, welcoming us to the Capitol. He's a slim, tall man with white hair and facial hair. Like snow. At least he doesn't dress up like the citizens. The national anthem blares as he finishes his speech. The crowd is still going nuts as we are then escorted to the Training Center, our new home for the next week.

The doors behind District 12 closes as we are now greeted by our prep team. I can only hear them babbling about how spectacular we looked out there. Some of the tributes are exchanging looks at us, their eyes full of envy and jealousy. We stole their spot light. Their time to shine. I give a smirk to those giving us dirty looks. I'm loving every moment.

Matthias walks up and pats us on the shoulder. He's impressed about our performance during the tribute parade. With a soft nod, he leads us to our mentors and Cilia. "They love you guys," he says as he turns to me with a grin. "And you didn't trust me with making you a spectacular outfit."

I laugh a little, telling him that it was amazing. The lines continue to form spectacular on our outfits. I forgot to turn them off. With a press of a button, the colors fade, going back to the normal white color. Some of the tributes are still gazing over at us. How jealous they must feel about not getting the spot light. Sucks for them, but not for us.

We wave to the prep team as they leave. It feels nice not having to be stuck with them. It's not that they're bad people, but I don't want to listen to them whining about their skin being too pink and stuff like that. Blight leads us to an elevator, which will take us to our floor. I've never been inside of an elevator. Just the thought of being able to ascend at an astonishing speed amazes me. The doors close behind us as we start to move upward. We are moving quickly on this elevator, yet I can't even feel a thing. It's light as a feather. I move my hand towards my neck to make sure I still have my necklace on. I do. The last thing I want to do is lose my necklace. Not just a necklace. The one Anna gave me before I got onto the train. My district token.


	5. Chapter 5

The Training Center is designed to house the tributes for each Hunger Games. Every single floor of the center is designated for each district. District 1 has the first floor while District 12 has the top floor, or called the penthouse. For the next week, Jade and I will be living here while we train for our fight to the death. Below the first floor is the gym where the tributes will train for the next three days.

The elevator doors open as reach our floor. Floor seven. Cilia goes on about staying comfortable and enjoy every moment while we're here. I now get a glimpse of my new home. Like the train, there are crystal chandeliers handing from the high ceiling. You can chuck a pebble up with all the strength you have and it would barely hit the ceiling. Surrounding the living quarters are huge windows. I'm not a big fan of large windows. It just seems like you have little privacy when you're around them. Are all of the buildings in the Capitol like this? I walk up to a window and look out. For as far I can see, there are building piercing the sky. People down below are cheering about the arrival of this year's tributes. They look like ants scurrying around, trying to find their nest. I feel like a child as I'm walking around, examining gadgets I have never seen before. There are buttons on the wall that you use to order food. I'm about to press one when Cilia tells me that we'll be eating soon. The buttons will have to wait. For now.

"I'm thinking we should have some roasted pig for dinner," Cilia says as a server, known as an Avox, pours her a bright green liquid. She takes a sip before puckering her lips. "As you already know, everyone is talking about you two. The opening ceremony. The outfits. They love you."

"And that is good because you guys have an advantage at gaining sponsors. They will have to try their best to forget who you guys are," Blight says as an Avox pours the same green liquid into his cup. "Now as you guys know, you start your training tomorrow. My advice to you is to not show off your skills until they call you in for your private session. Surprise them. Catch them off guard. That's the key in making them remember you."

I specialize in axes. Since I was young, my father would take me out into the forest and teach me how to use an axe. Of course, I just had a hatchet at that time. The feeling of cutting down my first tree was exciting. It was a small tree, but it didn't matter to me back then. As I grew older, my father and I would play a game. The goal was to throw an axe at a tree and see how long it would stick onto the trunk before falling off. My first try didn't go so well. The axe missed the tree by a long shot as it struck right into the side of a rabbit. We had rabbit stew that night. There were also a couple times where I almost cut off my father's limbs off. By accident of course. Yet he never took the axe away from me. Instead, he encouraged me to keep trying. Helping me step by step on how to throw the axe properly. Those were the good times, and I miss them. Especially now.

"So, what are your guys' special skills," Amur asks. I'm wondering if she means something that doesn't have to do with axes. If that's the case, I don't have anything else.

"Besides knowing how to wield an axe, nothing," I reply.

"No, he's quite stealthy. I've seen him cut off a girl's hair several years back. She only noticed when she ran her hand along her hair and realized a chunk of it was miss," Jade says, turning her attention to me. "It was a while ago, but I'm sure he still has it."

Was Jade there when that happened? I don't remember seeing her at all. In fact, I only noticed her at the Reaping.

"You still have the hair, Grant?" Cilia asks me. She doesn't understand that Jade was talking about my stealth, not the chunk of hair. Clueless as usual.

"Of course. I sniff it every night before I go to sleep. It's the only way I'll ever be close to my crush from back then," I say sarcastically, smirking. As usual, she takes this seriously and tells me that I have weird habits. Funny. This is coming from someone who lives in the Capitol. If dressing up like furniture and dying your skin a different color isn't weird, then I must not know what weird is.

An Avox walks up to the table and places a platter on the table. The platter contains the roasted pig. I swear, the pig is staring right at me. It's not that I'm against eating meat. I just don't like dead things looking at me. Especially when I'm about to eat it. It's creepy. We each grab a chunk of the pig while I'm trying to not make eye contact with its golden-brown, caramelized face. The conversation picks up as Cilia continues to praise our performance for the hundredth time. Jade tells them that she's good at throwing knives. She has a set back home and would use a sawed off trunk as a target.

"Alright, you guys can head off now. We adults need to talk about a few things," Blight says as he dismisses us from the table. He may be a pain in the ass, but there are times where I'm glad he's around. I don't feel like listening to Cilia's high pitched voice. I'm just surprised my eardrums haven't burst yet. What are they going to talk about? Probably to plan our next few days.

I walk into my room and notice the clothes I was wearing during the Reaping neatly folded on the bed. There is a closet not too far from the bed. On the front is a screen where I can pick out an outfit. I will give the Capitol some credit. The closet and the button to order food is pretty amazing. I skim through my options and pick out a simple outfit and press on it. Almost instantaneously, the door slides open and the outfit is handing right in front of me as the fresh scent of new clothes fills my room. It's a scent I rarely experience. I grab my clothes and put in on, leaving the outfit from the parade on my bed.

The adults are still talking at the table. Something tells me that I should eavesdrop on them, but I decide not to and walk out into a corridor. At the end of the corridor is a door. Wherever the door leads to is a mystery, and my curiosity grows as I open the door. It reveals a stairwell. The rails are most likely made from platinum. Even the hidden stairwells are fancy. I slowly make my way up the top. The steps are cold under my bare feet as I reach the top. There's a door in front of me. Should I open it? What's behind this door?

It's a roof top. The wind is stronger up here than it is below. There isn't anything here. Just a concrete roof. That's it. Except for a garden. I must be above District 12's living quarters. At least I'll get some time alone. That's what I want. No one to bother me while I sort out my thoughts. There is a small railing that runs along the border of the roof. The people now seem like dots on the side walk as I lean on the railing, getting a good glimpse of the Capitol.

"Isn't it a bit chilly to walk around barefoot," I hear someone say as I turn around to see who it is. It's the guy from District 2. Again. He smiles as he walks up to the railing and leans his back against it.

"Isn't it a bit chilly to walk around in sandals?" I reply, noticing the sandals he's wearing. "Why are you here?" I ask. This is the second time I ran into him.

He chuckles a bit, folding his arms against his chest. "Probably the same reason why you're up here. My curiosity got the best of me and I just had to know what lies at the top of the stairwell," he responds, looking over at me. I'm guessing he's trying to act intimidating. It's not working. I don't get intimidated easily. "It's funny how our curiosity can lead us to new places. How it can control our lives. I like to think of it as fate. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess," I reply. The last thing I want to do is talk to a Career. They have a way of acting friendly. But once you're in the arena, that act of friendliness goes away to never be seen again. I start to think what his motives are for conversing with me.

He looks around, examining the rooftop. "Looks like they planted a garden up here," he says, looking at the garden.

"How thoughtful of them," I reply, not daring to face the Career.

"You know, you're not going to gain allies if you don't act kind towards others."

"Oh, and you're considering being my ally?" I ask him.

He chuckles a bit, facing the Capitol. "You never know. We may need an extra person in our pact, or should I say posse. I'm just saying. Someone who volunteers just to keep someone they care about safe is brave in my book," he says as he looks over towards me. "Now that's something we can't afford to overlook, now is it?"

"Apparently not," I reply. I still think that this is a trick. To gain my trust. And kill me when my back is turned. Two can play at this game. Being a part of the Careers will give me an advantage of taking them out when they're not looking.

"I also wanted to find a place to drink alone. But since you're here, I guess I can share with you," he says as he pulls out a few small bottles of clear liquor from his sweater pocket. He hands me one and pops the top off of his. I do the same and we raise our bottles together, drinking the liquor. It burns my throat as it travels down my throat into my stomach. Almost instantly, my body starts to tingle. "First time, eh?"

"Yeah. We never have alcohol back home," I say. Heather never buys it as she fears I would drink it all to get rid of my depression about my parents being dead.

A few bottles in and we're both laughing at each other's horrible jokes. We take a seat on the roof. Mostly because I can't keep my balance for even a second. We start talking about home. Of course, I'm slurring my words. But he seems to understand what I'm trying to say as we continue to converse. Our voices must be echoing throughout the entire city. Fortunately, no one even bothers coming up to see what's going on. Just a couple of drunk tributes. Imagine how the sponsors would react if they saw us.

It must be late. The cheering starts to die down, and we have training tomorrow. I know Cilia will wake me up early. She's punctual. If we're even a minute late, she'll freak out. God forbid that. The guy from District 2 suggests that we head back to our living quarters. Even after a few bottles of liquor, he's still has a good sense of balance. I, on the other hand, am a rag doll. He has to help me up and walk me down the steps. I keep my arm around his shoulders as he drags me down to a door that has the number seven next to it. I'm at my floor. All I have to do is sneak back in without making a scene.

The guy bids his farewell. Before leaving, he tells me his name is Virgil. Now I know all of the Career's names. Satin. Silk. Thalia. Virgil. Ocarina. Alexander. Six names to add on my kill list. I smile as he walks off before opening the door. The corridor is empty. No one to be seen. I can hear my footsteps softly echo throughout the hall.

The main room is empty as well. No sign of Blight, Amur, or Cilia. They must be in bed. Good. The last thing I want them to see is me drunk. Right before we start our training. I imagine Cilia's voice if she saw me right now. It's not pretty. I slowly make my way to my room. The ground beneath my feet shifts. Or it feels it shifted. I grasp onto a rail on the wall. Never have I been so thankful for railings.

I make my way to my room. The door slides shut behind me. The alcohol plays tricks on my brain. I'm pretty sure my walls don't ripple like waves on a lake. What was in that liquor anyways? Never mind that. I need to sleep. I force my eyes shut as I lay on my bed.


	6. Chapter 6

I jolt up as I feel something cold splash all over my body. My head's pounding like a timpani. A figure was standing at the foot of my bed. It's Jade, and she's holding a now empty pitcher. "What the hell, Jade?" I grunt at her, shivering from the cold liquid.

"Cilia's freaking out because you're not up yet. I don't feel like listening to her scream at the top of her lungs," She replies. As if on cue, I hear Cilia shout how irresponsible I am for making her late. Late for what? "Now get up."

"Okay, okay. Just let me take a quick shower and I'll be right out," I say to her, watching her leave the room. The door slides down. Cilia's voice is still piercing through the door. How loud is she yelling? I shake the thought off and strip off my clothes. The shower has multiple buttons, but I can't waste any time experimenting with them. Take a shower. Get out before Cilia tears down the whole place.

I don't want to face Cilia. I'm not scared of her. I just don't feel like her bickering at me. Eventually, I'll have to. The water stops as I step out of the shower. On the floor is a mat with a heater. I never thought anyone could dry off this quickly. But here I am. Just after a single breath, all of the water droplets disappear from my body. I have to admit. I love the showers here.

After picking out another simple outfit, I walk out of my room. I brace myself for Cilia as I walk out. The table has an assortment of muffins, pastries, and juice. Our mentors and Jade are at the table while Cilia is prancing around. She turns and spots me. "Well, thank you for joining us, Grant. I would have thought you'd be awake and prepared by now," she says, trying to keep herself from yelling.

"Did you have to wake up the damn Capitol?" I reply as I take a seat at the table. Oh how I love the aroma of the muffins. They remind me of the muffins back home. Baked to a golden brown. The interior all fluffy. I take a bite and it's like eating a cloud. The lemon excites my taste buds as I take another bite.

Amur turns her attention towards Jade and I. "Since you two are now here, we can talk about your strategy in the training center."

"Wait. Strategy for what?" I ask. Is there a certain way we have to train in the gym?

"A strategy to surprise the Gamemakers," Blight joins in. He takes a bite from his pastry. "You two want to get sponsors, right?" We both nod our heads. "The best way is to catch them off guard. Surprise them with an excellent performance, and they'll have to give you a high score. A high score means your chances of getting sponsors increases."

"So you don't want us to show off our skills until the private session?" Jade asks.

"Well, you don't have to, but it's the best way to get a good score. Trust me on this," Blight replies to her. He takes a knife and spreads marmalade on the pastry.

That means no axes for me. Great. Besides axes, I have no skills. Making snares is a nightmare for me. Throwing knives are not as bad, but they're not my strong suit. Just forget about spears. I want my axes, but if Blight suggests to wait until the private session, then I'll wait. He may not be my favorite person, but he's my mentor. After all, he did go through the training sessions before. I'll have to trust him and try to improve on some other skills. But what?

"Try to learn new techniques like learning how to tie knots or make snares. Something that will benefit you in the arena. I know you're going to hear this from the head trainer, but starvation, dehydration, and even an infection can kill as easily as a sword," Amur states. "Learn how to use the arena to your advantage. Make your surroundings obey you."

Both Jade and I nod. We are then dismissed to get ready. Training starts at ten, so we have at least a half hour to prepare. I'm already dressed, so I take the time to sit on my bed. I wonder how Anna is doing back home. How Heather, Paxton, and Lara are doing. How Brent is.

My half hour is up as I slip on a pair of boots. Oh how my feet are hating it, aching from being cramped into a small space. I'll deal with it. I make my way towards the elevator, where Cilia and Jade are waiting. "Alright, let's head out. We're already a bit behind."

The doors to the arena as we walk up to it. Only half of the tributes are there. The entire Career pact. The tributes from 3, 5, and 12. They are in an arc around the head trainer. Cilia excuses us for showing up late, even though we're not the last tributes.

"Only half of the tributes are here," I say to her.

"Well, maybe the rest are late as well," she replies as she glares down at me. Before she walks off, she tells Jade to keep an eye on me. Or 'Mouthy' as she calls me.

The head trainer, Atala, begins to tell us about the stations after the rest of the tributes show up. There are a few compulsory exercises, while the rest of the exercises are up to us. Make sure we focus on survival skills, since some of us will die from natural causes. There's no fighting during training.

We are excused after she finishes. The Careers, as usual, are in a group near the combat exercises. Satin is at the knife throwing station, catapulting knives into the targets as they move. She doesn't miss a single one. She smirks at me as I walk past the station, heading towards the snare making station. A trainer teaches me the basics of a snare. He makes it seem simple. Make a noose. Create a trigger mechanism. And most importantly, find a plant to use as the engine. I can't do it. The branch snaps before I'm able to get the hook in place. I spend half an hour at the station before I'm able to produce a decent snare. The trainer approves and I head off to another state.

The camouflage station seems like a good idea. The only other person at the station is Brielle, from District 12. I glance over and see Jade hanging out with the female from 9. They're learning how to shoot arrows. I gaze back over and start to gently brush mud on my arm. My neck shivers as I feel like someone's breathing right behind me. I jump and see it's Virgil. "You're like a mosquito. You know that, right?" I say to him.

He glances down at my arm. He chuckles a bit before looking at me. "I don't think that camouflage will help you," he says.

"I never got the chance to finish," I reply. I know he's true because my camouflage wouldn't look good even when I'm done with it. I don't want to admit it though. Especially to a Career. "Why are you even here anyways?"

"To train, like the rest of the tributes?"

"I mean, why are you here next to me?"

"What's up with this sudden hostility?" I remain silent as I continue to work on my camouflage. "Besides, I can't get enough that handsome face."

Great. Now he's moving on to flirting. Just shoot me. I take a small brush and paint patterns on my arm. "Don't you have some where to be?" I ask him.

"Yeah, and that's here with you."

I stay silent and walk over to the other side of the station. Where Brielle is. I watch as he shrugs and heads back to the group. Good. Now I can focus on finishing my camouflage.

"Looks like you made a new buddy," Brielle tells me.

"More like a pest," I reply, painting the final patterns on my arm. It's good. Better than I have expected. It resembles the bark of a tree.

I hear Brielle snickering to herself after I was done talking. "Well, maybe you should get rid that handsome face," she replies with a laugh. "That'll keep him away. By the way, I'm Brielle," she says.

"Grant," I reply, shaking her hand that she's holding out.

She nods softly, getting back to her camouflage. It's much better than mine. And it's not even finished. The brush runs swiftly along her arm, leaving a trail of intricate patterns behind. It's like they're both in harmony with each other. No abruptions. None of the lines are either too thin or too wide. "That was brave of you."

"You mean moving away from the Career?"

"No. Back at the Reaping. When that little kid was picked. As soon as the escort asked for any volunteers, your hand shot up like a rifle," she says, brushing some of the hair out of her eyes. "You said he was your friend's little brother, right?"

I nod. I tell her about my family back home. Which is only Anna. About how I live with my friend's family. Well, lived until now. I watch as she would continue to paint her arm while listening to my story. The story ends when I tell her that I was once picked four years ago. And how my brother volunteered for me.

"Four years later, and you're here. I don't think I'd ever have the courage to do something like that," she says softly, extending her arm out to examine the finished work. It's beautiful. "What do you think?" She shows me her arm.

"It's amazing. How do you do that?" I ask.

"I spend a lot of my time drawing. The key is patience. No rushing. I've been here about an hour just to perfect it," she replies with a smile. "I know I might not have time in the arena, but it gives me a sense of comfort."

Comfort. The thing I haven't felt for a while now. Since my parents died. When my brother died. It left to never return. All I care about it making sure Anna was alright. She's the only family I have left. I have to win for her sake.

The day goes by quick. After the camouflage station, Brielle walks off to meet up with her male counterpart as I head over to the knife throwing station. I want to throw axes. But Blight suggested that I wait until my private session with the Gamemakers. Unsurprisingly, I'm missing my target. The knife either goes over the target or falls just before it reaches it. The Careers are nearby, snickering as I continue to fail. My frustration starts to build up as I continue to try hitting the target. Satin eventually walks over and asks if I would like some help. I tell her no.

"Why not? You're accuracy is worse than my father's when he's drunk. He at least hits the target," she say.

"Because I don't need any help. I can learn on my own." I don't care if she's the best one here. The last thing I want is help from any of the Careers.

"Alright. I tried to help, but I guess you're too stubborn to get across. Enjoy your low score," she says as she walks back to the group. I'm probably the first person to ever turn her down. I can see it in her face. She stands in the group with her arms folded, glaring over at me.

I glare back at her as I take a knife in my hand and throw it at the target. At least, I hope it's going in that direction. I'm too focused on the Careers that the target is not in my sight. Then a thud rings nearby. A couple of the Careers' jaws are dropped. What did I do? I turn and look at the target. There it is. The knife. Struck the bull's-eye on the target. Even my jaw is now dropped. Did I just do that? I wasn't even paying attention!

At lunch, Jade and I are sitting alone. A tray of food rests right in front of us. Pork with vegetables. Mashed potatoes with gravy. A glass of water sits by the tray. I take a bite of pork. Occasionally glancing over at the Careers. They're in a group at the table. Satin and Virgil will look over at my direction at times and continue eating. No one even bothers to say a word to us. The other tributes are off in their own groups of two. Like Jade and I.

"So what did Satin want when she walked over to you?" Jade asks. She must have saw the whole thing. Satin talking to me. Me throwing the knife at the bull's-eye.

"She wanted to help me. I told her 'No', and that seemed to piss her off," I reply as I take a drink from my water.

"That's probably the first time someone told her 'No'," she responds. She's thinking the same thing I was back at the station. Satin seems like the person who gets what she wants. She's probably never heard of that word before I came along.

After lunch we head back to the gym. As we enter the gym, Jade suggests that we train together. I agree and we head off to the spear throwing station. I take a spear and feel the weight of it. It's heavy.

"Do you have any plans yet for the games?" Jade asks as I throw the spear. It barely hits the target. I shake my head. "I guess we're on the same page then."

I don't have any plans. Besides staying alive and eradicating the Careers. I'm not even good at making plans. Most of the plans I make end up blowing up right in front of my face.

After a few minutes of silence, Jade speaks up. "Did you think about gaining allies?"

"Why should I?" I reply as I throw another spear. It misses. "We're going to end up killing them later on anyways. It's like being friends with someone for a bit then stabbing them in the back." As much as it pains me to say it, I wouldn't want to team up with Jade. Not because I don't like her. I don't want it to come down to us being the last two in the arena. I know I will not kill her.

"Well, it would assure you're survival," She responds. She remains silent, watching as I continue to throw my spears. "Did I ever tell you how I broke a guy's nose?"

"No. What happened?" I ask. I never thought Jade would be capable of such thing. She seems too passive.

She tells me how a guy walked up to her and tripped her on purpose. He must have thought she was passive, like how I think she is. He wanted to get a reaction out of her. When the guy reached down to help her up, she stood up and slammed a rock she found on the ground against his face. The guy ran home, tearing up as Jade continued to walk home as if nothing happened.

"Well, he deserved it," I say, putting the spear down. I look around the gym and felt my heart sank. Why didn't I notice this before? There are two kids who are twelve years old. They are not strong. Not skilled in anything. All they can do is try and hope they'll succeed. I hate the sight of this. They're too young to be killed. To be forced to kill each other. In fact, we're all too young to be killed. It's the Capitol's way of showing the districts that they're still in charge. First District 13 is no more. And now the Hunger Games.

We go back to our floor once our training is done for the day. We are greeted with a table full of various food assortments. Pork. Chicken. Vegetables. A few loaves of bread. Mashed potatoes. At the center of it all is a large bowl full of some stew. I walk to my room and slipped my boots off. They've been killing me all day. I slide my sandals on and walk back out to the dining room, sitting down next to Jade.

"So, how was training?" Cilia asks, gently dipping some pork into a sauce.

"It wasn't that bad," I reply. "Just threw a few knives and worked on camouflage."

"How did the knives go?" Amur asks from across the table. She takes a knife and dips it into some butter. The butter spreads evenly as she runs the knife along her piece of bread.

"It went okay."

"It was more than okay. He was able to hit the bull's-eye without even looking at the target," Jade says. What is she doing? It was pure luck. I wasn't even aiming for the target. I was just frustrated at the Careers. That's all. What happened back in the gym was a one in a million chance. I'll never be able to perform the very task with proper execution again.

"It was just a lucky shot. I wasn't trying to hit the target."

"But you did. Did you see the look on the Career's faces? Their jaws were on the floor." Jade says as she turns to me. "Even if you're unable to make a shot like that again, you still made the Careers think you're a threat in the arena."

She's right. Even if that chance never comes again, the Careers will think twice about messing with me. I showed them that I'm capable of defending myself. I'm capable of handling a weapon. "Well, if they thought that was amazing, they should see me with my axes," I say, taking a bite from my pork.

An Avox walks up and sets down dessert in front of me. It has a hard, crispy wafer formed into a bowl. Within the bowl is a set of assorted fruits that have been dipped in chocolate. Some of the fruit have symmetrical patterns made from darker chocolate. Oh how great this smelled. I can just sit here all day, taking whiff after whiff of the aroma being exerted from the dessert. I take my fork and pick up one of the berries, eating it. The taste of the chocolate blends in perfectly with the bitterness of the berry. I wish we had this back in District 7.

As I finish my dessert, I take a piece of the wafer off. Before I put it into my mouth, Cilia tells me I'm not supposed to eat it. Why? Aren't you supposed to eat wafers?

"It's there as decoration," she says, taking her wafer bowl and places it to the side.

"Then what do you do with the wafers?"

"We just throw them away. We can't just eat it. It would seem as if we are starving."

"Well, I'm starving," I reply as I pick up the wafer and start to eat it. I do not believe in wasting food. If you are given something to eat, you eat it all. There are starving kids in the poorer districts that would love to have this, yet they simply throw it away. "Ah, that was the best part," I say as I finish the wafer.

This gets under her skin. Good. I can't stand people like that. "Well, we don't use such inadequate manners here in the Capitol," she says as she huffs.

Are you kidding me? She's worried about my 'bad' manners? I'm going into an arena to fight to the death and all she cares about is my manners? I feel tension rise inside of me as I stand up. "In case you haven't noticed, we're not here to live in the Capitol. We're here to die for your guys' entertainment. Talk about inadequate behavior," I snap at her, leaving the table. I can't believe she even has the audacity to say such a thing. Being in the same room with her is like being thrown into a pen full of chicken. Clueless to her surroundings. I need time alone. Where should I go? The roof.

I walk up to the railing of the roof and lean on it, trying to cool myself off. The wind is blowing weakly against my body. The thoughts of home and how angry I'm at Cilia begins to flood my mind. I might die from stress before I even get into the arena. I decide to walk into the garden. The wind picks up as it tears some petals off of the flowers, carrying them to an unknown distance far away. Never to be returned back home. Just like me. I wonder if I'll even return home. I have to. My hands cover my face as I try to get rid of the thoughts that are torturing my mind. If it continues at this rate, I'll have no chance of winning. Ugh, I just want to shout in frustration. Would anyone hear me? I hear the door open and turn to see who it is. This time it's not Virgil. It's Jade.

She walks over and sits down. "Amur asked me to check on you. You alright?"

"Yeah… just frustrated, that's all," I reply.

Jade walks over to the garden and sits down next to me. She looks around the garden. Her eye catches a glimpse of a bright red flow. A hand moves towards it and picks it from its place. "Nice garden they have here. It reminds me of the one my mom has back home," she says as she keeps the flower rested on her palm. "After my dad died, my mom and I wanted to have something to remember him by. I'd always remember my dad telling me that this flower is his favorite."

"So your garden is a memoriam to your father?" I ask as she hands me the flower. The petals are a dark yet vibrant red. The tips are a gold color. Like a crown. I run a thumb along the petals. It's soft. Like a blanket.

"Yeah," she replies. "Every time we walked past a patch of these flowers, my father would always say 'My, look at these flowers. Even in the roughest terrain, they manage to thrive. Like hope'. I never got what he was saying. But now I know."

"What was he saying?" I ask.

She leans over and whispers in my ear. "The hope of the districts."

Hope of the districts? I continue to think about it as Jade's voice echoes in my head. Even in the roughest terrain, they manage to thrive. My eyes are open as I finally understand what he was saying. The hope every one of us holds dearly. The day that the Hunger Games are abolished.

Jade goes on to tell me that the flower is called a fire spero. A flower that's in the same family as a daffodil. They tend to sprout whenever they're a fire in the fields or forest.

After some time, we both head down to our living quarters. I wave to Jade as I enter into my room, kicking off my sandals. I lie on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Hope of the districts. Even during the roughest times, we still grasp at the little hope of being free. This is one characteristic that all of the districts share. The day that we all dream to come. The only question is 'When?'


End file.
